Mauled
by Ultimate Jedi Master
Summary: Darth Maul fic, set shortly before Episode 1.
1. Sidious

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. They belong to George Lucas.

I push the left end of my staff against his blade fiercly, using the Dark Side to increase my strength and allow me to hold my own against his lightsaber. The crackling sound of our blades resonating through the room as they clash together in a saber lock. The red glow of our sabers shining on our faces. I use every ounce of strength in my body to hold the lock attempting to force him back.

Our faces are inches from our sabers as we push against the lock trying to break it and gain the advantage. His face is hideous, wrinkled, a pathetic old man in appearence....in appearence. One would never know this was the most powerful Sith Lord in existence.

Sidious snarls as he forces me to step back to hold the lock of our blades. His entire persona a vessel of the Dark Side as he channels its god like power with astonishing ease. I sneer back at him using the Dark Side to maintain the lock and continue pushing against him. I aim a vicious kick at his mid section but he twists his body to the side dodging it while still pushing against the left end of my staff. He responds by hitting me in the stomach with his bare hand, a blow enhanced by the Dark Side that takes my breath away for a moment.

Still I push against his blade not backing down at all. Growing tired of it Sidious increases his strength even more and easily pushes me back, forcing me to break the saber lock and move to the left to avoid being run through. I bring the right end of my blade up to block his next attack, then another at a different angle, I use the left end to block a strong swing at my mid section, then the right to parry a thrust aimed at my heart all in quick succession.

I look for an opening to attack but there are no flaws in his Ataru form, he moves with perfect grace raining down attacks on my Juyo. He attacks from all angles using the Dark Side to enhance the strength and speed of his blows. Most beings would already be dead....but I am not most beings. The Dark Side is my ally and I use its power to increase my own speed, reaction time, and stamina. I am able to deflect his blows with great effort.

He moves in again forcing me to continue moving back as he alternates swings at the left and right ends of my lightsaber staff. Despite having two blades I can barely keep up with the speed of his attacks, muchless his overwhelming power in the force. I continue to block and parry his attacks, catching them on my blades and looking for an opening of some kind. But there are no openings against Darth Sidious.

He swings again and I raise the right end to block but suddenly find myself flying backwards in extreme pain with purple lightning surging through my body. I fly thirty feet backwards and smack into the wall before falling to the floor in a heap. I'm dazed and in agony from the lightning but I quickly jump back to my feet just in time to block more crushing blows from Sidious.

We continue our deadly dance across the large room our blades clashing at a blinding pace. Sidious is on the offensive and it takes everything I have just to keep from being skewered. I rapidly deflect more of his attacks with my double blades as I step back against his onslaught, racking my mind to come up with a way to turn the tide of the battle. But Sidious has no weaknesses to exploit, no short comings in his form or posture, just a never ending onslaught of devastating attacks.

I back pedal while blocking trying to create some distance but it's useless as he is on me before I can get anywhere, forcing me to pour all of my energy into defensive fighting. His swings come from high and low, from left and right, he thrusts, swings, even kicks on occasion keeping me from getting anything going against him.

He swings at the left end of my staff, then at my legs in the blink of an eye which I barely catch with the left end of my blade. He rotates and swings at my head which I duck under but instantly find his lightsaber heading towards my chest. I parry with the right end of my staff and twirl my staff to block two more strikes at my left side and my legs. His attacks are a blur of red light but I still manage to block them, going all out with the Dark Side of the force.

Sidious thrusts towards my chest but I parry it away but he quickly brings his blade back around into a saber lock with the right end of my staff. Our faces centimeters apart from our hissing blades. I strain to hold him off as he sneers into my tattooed covered face. I push with all of my strength but Sidious continues pressing against me like it is nothing. His blade inches towards the hilt of my staff and I am forced to pull away again to break the lock. He rushes forward swinging away with blinding speed at the twin ends of my staff.

Suddenly I am lifted into the air with the force. I struggle against his hold trying to break the grip but I am flung into the wall once again. This time I do not get up. I lay perfectly still, not breathing. Sidious approaches cautiously, probing with the force to see if I am awake after the savage impact with the wall. But my mental shields are so attuned I am able to maintain them even when unconscious, and he knows this.

Horrifying pain consumes my body as I am once again lit up by force lightning. The pain is agonizing as the bolts surge through my body, melting my flesh and making smoke rise off of me. He relentlessly continues the barrage, the pain overwhelming and greater than anything I have ever endured. I continue to lay still despite this horrific pain, not screaming, not breathing. For most beings this barrage would have melted their minds into a worthless heap of screams and whimpers....I am not most beings. I endure the pain motionless.

Finally the lightning stops leaving charred, blistered skin in its wake. Sidious laughs as he approaches me thinking I am unconscious.

"You still have much to learn my apprentice. Though your skills are acceptable for your purpose, you are no match for a true Sith!". I lie still, lifeless in his eyes. He continues laughing as he steps closer. Then he shuts off his blade.

I explode off the floor pouring all of my power into the Dark Side and using it in a massive burst of speed. Sidious yells in surprise and pain as my horned head collides with his stomach and drives him back, slamming him against the far end of the room. The force of the collision breaks through the wall sending us flying through into a pile of rubble and debris, my horns deep into his skin as I drive them in.

Sidious screams in pain and unleashes a massive burst of force lightning right into my head. The last thing I see are the purple bolts streaming from his finger tips before I fall into unconsciousness.

I slowly come to, groggy, with pain throbbing through every part of my body. I shake my head to gather myself and take in my surroundings. Suddenly a pair of black robes come into view right infront of me. I discard the pain with the Dark Side and rise into a kneeling position.

"You are ready my apprentice. The Dark Side of the Force IS YOUR ALLY. Now is the time, go forth and bring my enemies to justice".

"What is thy bidding my Master?"

"You will go to the Cato Neimoidia system. There are certain...elements of the Trade Federation that resist us. They threaten to defect to the Republic and expose my plans. Find them and kill them, leave none alive, leave no witnesses. Strike with the fury of a true Sith".

"I will not fail my Master".

With that I rise and head to the hangar, I quickly enter the Sith Infiltrator and blast off into orbit.

I am not most beings....I am Darth Maul.


	2. Cato Neimoidia

I watch as a group of B1 class battle droids moves below me, concealed from my position on the rooftop above. There are a very large number of them patrolling the palace and the surrounding areas protecting my quarry inside, the group of Neimoidians that had dared to double cross Sidious. I don't know why and I don't care, I am here for one purpose, to crush them with the Dark Side of the force like the insects they are.

I had landed the Infiltrator deep in the forest, away from the civilized areas of Cato Neimoidia. Using the ships cloaking device to bypass the droid control ships in orbit and space traffic control, and landing without alerting the Neimoidians to my presence. Immediately upon landing I deployed several Dark Eye probe droids to survey the area, sending them in to the bridge cities to find my prey. After a few hours they had reported contact with the target, a delegation opposed to Sidious that has assembled in this palace.

Wasting no time I had set out on foot, using the Dark Side to move through the thick flora of the forest with ease. With the force enhancing my speed I reached the bridge city in no time at all, now I observe from the shadows mapping out the best way to get into the palace without being detected. I wasn't concerned with the pathetic army of droids protecting them (they are ants compared to the force), but this is a covert mission and I was ordered to leave no witnesses, the fewer droids that see me the better for my mission.

I growl at the droids and open my mind to the Dark Side of the force, embracing the power it offers. I stretch out with my senses searching for life signatures inside the palace. There are many Neimoidians inside. Servants on the lower levels, rich politicians and military leaders on the upper floors, I sneer in disgust sensing their greed and obsession with wealth. The whirring sound of mechanical parts betray the presence of battle droids inside. No doubt protecting the sniveling Neimoidians. I continue my probe searching for the targets until I finally discover a large group of them seated at a table in a meeting. They are on the top floor of the building. I smile ferally, breaking off my probe and looking up at the outer walls of the palace.

It is a massive building, towering over the others around it. The entrance is heavily guarded by droids and security cameras, there is no way through without being seen or creating a disturbance. I begin counting the floors and windows. It is an elaborately decorated six story building, each floor lined with stained glass windows, there are a series of ledges outside of those windows with small Neimoidian statues on them. Outside the top floor is a vent that leads inside. Perfect.

I wait as another group of patrolling droids passes by. When their backs are turned I leap down from the rooftop of the building and dash towards the palace with force speed. I run past the droids in the blink of an eye, a dark blur moving to fast to be seen. It only takes a few seconds for me to reach the outer wall of the palace, completely unnoticed by the security droids, pathetic. Using the force I easily jump up to the ledge at the top of the first floor and secure my footing. Then I begin ascending the side of the palace, jumping from ledge to ledge in a flash. It only takes a few moments for me to reach the top floor. I gently lift the cover of the vent and set it aside, then I climb into the cramped space and enter the palace.

The vents are dark, dusty and very tight but I manage to squeeze through, moving further in to the palace at a slow but steady pace to avoid detection. I use the force to guide me towards the Neimoidians as I crawl through layers of dust. After a while I reach an intersection in the vent and turn to the right after the force tells me to do so. I continue on for several minutes sensing I am close to my prey. I crawl for several more minutes until I suddenly start to hear voices coming from below. I stop at a grate in the vent and look down into the room below, my yellow eyes shine in the darkness and I turn my lips into a feral grin.

The Neimoidians are gathered at a table directly below me. There are ten of them, along with a group of ten B1 battle droids taking up various positions in the room. It is a large room, with the table in the center and large stained glass windows overlooking the city below. There is only one door, they are trapped like rats. I listen to their meeting.

"I tell you Nute Gunray has lost his mind! The Republic will not stand for this invasion of Naboo he plans to carry out. They will not sit idly by and let the planet fall", I can tell this one is the leader of the group.

"But Lord Sidious has assured us they will not act!"

"And what sway does he hold over the Republic? Senator Palpatine has grown very influential in the Senate, the Republic will not allow his home world to fall. Even the Sith can not stop the Republic from intervening". I almost laugh at the irony.

"The Republic will be forced to accept the invasion once Queen Amidala signs the treaty, they will have no choice in the matter".

"What makes Gunray think she will even sign it, what if the Queen escapes?"

"She will have no choice but to sign it!" another one pipes up.

"No I will not support this. I do not trust Sidious. This alliance with the Dark Lord will lead us into war without end! A war that will destroy the Trade Federation itself!"

"Blasphemy!"

"We cannot stand against the Republic!"

I watch as they go back and forth in their pathetic little argument, knowing these were the insects my Master sent me to crush. I grow tired of these pathetic lifeforms, I want to leave this worthless planet. It is time, I tell myself. I reach to my waist and grab my lightsaber staff, grinning at them again my face twisting into an animalistic visage.

Reaching into the Dark Side I lift the table they are sitting at with the force and slam it against the door forming a barricade and crushing two battle droids in the process, the Neimoidians fall to the floor yelling in fear, a sound that brings me sadistic pleasure. Without wasting another moment I come crashing down from the vent above, igniting the right end of my saber staff and landing right in their midst. The Neimoidians scream in horror when they see my demonic looking face, the yellow of my eyes and the red glow of my blade. I grin showing them my teeth then I swing my lightsaber through the midsection of the one closest to me and smirk as he goes down writhing in mortal pain.

The battle droids step in and open fire and all hell breaks loose. I deflect the bolts with my saber sending them away as alarms blare through the palace. I execute a series of jumping spins to dodge their fire and move in on them, deflecting some of the bolts as well. I reach one of the droids and swing my lightsaber through its chest, then I bring my blade around and cut through another. I advance on another droid deflecting several more shots before reaching it and slicing off its head, then I spin around and stab another through the chest. I pause and use the Dark Side to lift the remains of the droids and throw them at the Neimoidians blocking more bolts as I do, the broken droids hit five of them with enough velocity to slice through and kill them. I drink in their deaths using my blood lust to fuel the Dark Side roaring through my body.

I twirl my blade through the midsection of another Neimoidian and move on to attack a nearby droid as he screams in agony. I swing my lightsaber through the front of it, then I stab behind and into its back erupting through the chest of the droid destroying its vital circuitry. Another Neimoidian trys to run from me but I am on him in a flash and my lightsaber stabs through his chest. The remaining droids continue firing everything they have at me, but I deflect the bolts back with pitiful ease taking one of them down with its own bolt. The last two I lift with the force and smash into the wall with enough power to turn them into piles of junk.

With the droids eliminated I turn my attention back to the Neimoidians. There are two of them left, crying in the corner like sniveling cowards. I look at them in pure disgust and grab one of them with the force pulling him to me, he slides on the floor and comes to a stop at my feet with a look of horror on his face. I smile down at him before stabbing him with my blade.

The final Neimoidian is the leader of the group, the one that betrayed Sidious. I slowly advance on him taking the time to revel in the shear terror he emits. He trys to back away as I approach.

"Wh..what are you?" he asks with fear in his voice. I stop and look at him, my irises burning yellow as the Dark Side flows through me. A storm of infinite power.

"The last thing you will ever see" I respond, then he screams as I bring my lightsaber down ending his life.

I smile in satisfaction as I survey the room, covered with dead Neimoidian bodys and scattered droid parts. Smoke rises from all the blaster fire and surrounds me, my horned red and black face shining through like a demon. I soak in my triumph, tilting my head back as the darkness roars through my body. I am suddenly interrupted by loud banging on the door as the droids try to get in to help the Neimoidians I had just slaughtered. I reach into my belt and pull out a thermal detonator as the door starts to glow and they try to melt through. I grin as I dial in the timer and the glow spreads across the door.

I toss the detonator and take off running at full speed towards the large window as it beeps. I jump through the glass shattering it with my body and making my escape from the palace just as the bomb explodes. A massive fireball rips through the building, blowing the palace away and killing everything inside it.


	3. Escape

I move from building to building and street to street as I make my escape. Working my way through the Neimodian city and avoiding the droid patrols as much as possible. The city is on full scale alert after the explosion and battle droids are searching for the assassin, me of course. There are thousands of them stirred like a nest after the destruction of the palace. The droids are insignificant specks next to the power of the Dark Side, but I have completed my mission for Sidious and I'm eager to leave this disgusting place. The last thing I want is to get dragged into a fight with this worthless droid army.

I stop as another group of droids come down the street I am on, ducking behind the edge of a nearby building and watching as they come closer. Several of their squads spread out and begin kicking down doors, searching the buildings on this street. Some Neimodians yell at them in protest as their homes are violated. One such group starts moving towards my location with their rifles drawn as they search for me. I snort in disgust and force jump on to the roof of the building before they reach my location. I start running and jumping from roof to roof, continuing to make my way through the bridge city.

I look down at my wrist chrono as I run and dial in the frequency for the Infiltrator, giving it the signal to take off and come in for a low altitude run. Based on where I left it in the Cato Neimodian forest it will take around ten minutes to arrive at my location.

After signaling the Infiltrator I turn my attention back to the rooftops as I jump from one to the next, moving towards the pickup point where I had sent it. I jump over another alley and land on the next roof, but then a door on it opens and a battle droid walks through.

"You there, stop!"

I growl in annoyance and ignite my lightsaber again as several more walk out and join it.

Wasting no time I spring into action swinging the lit end of my staff. I make a swift cut through the neck of the first droid, then continue my momentum with a pair of slashes inflicting two deep cuts on the next before spinning and making a strong slash that sends the droid flying seperated into two pieces. Then I swing making a deep cut on the left side of the next one before slashing back through the chest, then I lift the severed droid pieces and fling them at two more droids with the force. The projectiles smash into them with high velocity tearing through the droids in a shower of electrical sparks. The other droids try to open fire but I block their shots and release a force push that sends the entire squad falling down the staircase. I use the force again to barricade the entry with a pipe, then I take off running on the roofs once more.

After a while of this I jump down into an alley below and observe from the shadows as another droids patrol passes by, I wait until their backs are turned before crossing the street into another alley and avoiding detection. Once I reach the end of the alley I look around the corner and see more droids questioning a Neimodian by the side of the street, as more of them enter and search the buildings. In the distance I can see a pair of droids riding on STAPs as they zip down the street. I grin and use the Dark Side to redirect them both into a nearby building as they pass, the vehicles crash and explode destroying the droids on them and bringing the building down. The other droids quickly run over to the burning wreckage and I use the distraction to cross the street and continue on my way.

After several more miles of running I force jump onto a nearby rooftop and survey the area around me, noting droid locations with both my eyes and senses. The Infiltrator is five minutes out and the programmed pickup point is just a block away. But the droids have a very high presence in this area maintaining their search for me, at least 50 of them are in the area ahead, and it's an open area as well compared to the narrow streets and alleys I had been moving through. The buildings are spaced much farther apart taking away my ability to jump from the rooftops. There isn't much concealment either, I would be easily seen and engaged by the droids. Not that that poses a problem, just more of an irritation, something that would keep me on this worthless planet longer than necessary.

I search for a way to get through without alerting them, but there are just to many of them and not enough cover to avoid detection. I mutter a curse at this miserable place, before jumping down from the roof of the building, igniting the right end of my staff and landing with a thud, its red glow reflecting on my face as I approach the droids.

"There he is! Open fire!"

"Roger roger"

They begin shooting immediately, releasing a barrage of blaster fire at me. I deflect it away, rapidly moving my saber to catch each bolt. I open my mind to the Dark Side of the force, using my hatred to channel it and allowing the immense power to wash over me...to immerse me in darkness. I deflect every shot they fire with ease and explode into action running my blade through the chest of the closest droid, as more of them enter the fray and begin shooting. I pull my blade out of its chest and strike down another droid with a quick swing through its mid section, then I twirl my wrist and bring the blade through another one in a diagonal strike that cleaves it into two pieces.

I concentrate on the glowing, sliced remains of the shattered droids and lift them with the force, then I close my eyes and delve deep into the Dark Side calling on all of my anger and hatred, the Dark Side answers my call with purple bolts of force lightning shooting from my finger tips, surging into the junk pile of droid remains. I charge the broken metal shells with the lightning and then send them flying into a group of live droids who are shooting at me. The lighting charged pieces hit them and explode on contact frying several of them with a large discharge of electricity.

More droids arrive and now the area is swarming with them, all of their blasters aimed and firing at me in desperation. With the Dark Side as my ally I move faster than their sensors can detect, easily deflecting their bolts and sending them back to their owners. Reaching another droid I cut through it with a vertical swing, then quickly take out another with a swing through its neck that sends its metal head flying into the distance. I spin around and slice through another with a swing through the midsection that cuts it in half. The severed droid falls to the ground but still trys to shoot at me despite missing its lower half, I snort and stab my lightsaber down into its chest.

Another group of them attacks and I explode with a burst of force speed, reaching them in an instant, and taking off the heads of two more with a quick horizontal swing. Then I spin around and cut through another with a diaganal swing, before unleashing a force push that rips a group of them into pieces. I pause to deflect several bolts then catapult into the air, lining up my blade with a trio of droids, and using the force to stack them together; I stretch my saber out as I come down onto them, skewering all three of them at once and frying their vital circuts. I force push the droids off of my blade sending them flying into another group with enough force to send them flying.

I again take off with force speed towards another squad, deflecting bolts rapidly as I do. The first droid I reach I stab through the chest, then I pull the blade out, swinging through the side of another before bringing the blade back through the same droid cutting it in half.

I take off towards another group but am ambushed from behind by a squad of eight droids rushing into the fight. I tap into the Dark Side again and throw my saber at them, using its power to make the blade spin like a buzz saw, the blade flies out and rapidly cuts through seven straight droids like butter, I call it back and the blade slices through the neck of another as it reaches my hand. As soon as I catch it I place the other end of the hilt directly onto a droid and press the activation switch igniting the other blade through its chest, then I twirl staff cutting through it quickly with both ends of the weapon.

The droids back away and cower in fear as I stand before them with my fully lit double bladed saber. I smile at them relishing in their fear. Then I charge at them with force speed, holding out my staff horizontally, slicing through rows of droids on both sides of me, moving through them like a blur of dark motion. I start to spin, rapidly twirling my blade as I dance around their blaster fire and cut through their ranks, severed metal parts fly in every direction as they fall into panic. I continue cutting through them one after another with my twin blades, moving faster than the eye can see, with the Dark Side increasing my strength and speed beyond imagination. One droid is swiftly cut down with three quick strikes from the two ends of my staff, another is sliced through by the left side, another by the right, then I run the left end through the chest of one more, the blade burning through their wiring and circuitry.

I sneer in disgust as more squads arrive on the scene and open fire, I quickly bolt over to them and twirl my blade instantly slicing and dicing through four droids with both ends of my staff. Then I bring the left end down in a backwards swing that takes the head off another, then I twirl my blade again and thrust it back stabbing into the chest of a droid behind. Pulling it out I deflect another wave of blaster fire back at the source before taking the head off another battle droid. I cut down another with a horizontal swipe then force push a small group crushing them against a nearby building.

I step back and deflect more blaster fire with my blades and prepare to strike again, but suddenly the ground starts to vibrate. I stop in surprise, looking around for the source of this disturbance. The ground continues vibrating, shaking the buildings and rattling their glass windows. The tremor grows stronger, breaking several windows as something draws closer. Something....large I can sense. The rumbling begins to sound in the distance, slowly increasing in volume as the shaking intensifies. The droids have stopped firing though they still have their blasters pointed at me, they are obviously awaiting the arrival of something. Curious I pause my attack and listen as the ground around me trembles, the loud rumbling joined by the sound of a soft mechanical whir.

Then I see it.

It being the armored hull of a Trade Federation AAT, gliding over the ground on its repulsor engines. The giant tank rumbles down the street, joining the formation of battle droids. The AAT comes to a stop, slowly rotating its main gun towards me, the mechanical gears whining as it does. A sudden warning blares through the force, and I dive out of the way, seconds before the tank fires. A massive plasma projectile slams into the building behind me, blowing it to pieces in an explosion that sends me flying through the air.

I land in a heap, my pants lit in flame from the blast, burning my legs in fiery agony. I quickly put it out with the force, and block out the pain of the burns, jumping to my feet and taking off, as the tank reloads and aims again. I move with a purpose, faster than the slow rotating turret can follow, dashing towards a group of battle droids. I quickly reach them and slice through two more as they resume their fire. I stop and turn towards the tank while deflecting their bolts, allowing it to line me up in its sights. I smile over my shoulder at the nearby droids, as they look beyond me, to the tank's main gun pointed right at them.

"Uh oh..."

"Roger roger"

I force jump into the air seconds before the AAT fires again, it's plasma bolt striking and obliterating all of the droids in the group in a wave of fiery destruction.

I quickly land and take off again as it reloads and tries to take aim at me, but with the Dark Side enhancing my speed, I easily outrun the turret and its aiming system. The tank fires again and destroys another building behind me as I catapult into the air, landing on a high platform.

The AAT takes aim again, but this time I'm ready. I call on the Dark Side again, raising my hands to focus its power on the tank, I use a wave of telekinetic energy to bend the turret upwards, hearing the steel creak beneath the strain. The gun is facing me, ready to fire, it's drivers oblivious to its bent turret. It fires, but this time it detonates in a giant explosion, destroying the AAT in a fireball that levels more droids and buildings around it.

The few droids remaining continue firing on me, in a state of panicked desperation. I deflect their bolts back at them, taking out several more, and prepare to jump down and finish them; but I stop when I notice the Sith Infiltrator come flying in at very low altitude. I reach down on my wrist and activate its ramp control, lowering it. Then I wait as it comes in, timing my jump carefully while deflecting blaster fire. I leap into the air with a force enhanced leap, somersaulting into the air and neatly landing on the lowered platform.

I move into the cockpit and release an EMP blast, frying the circuitry of all droids and computer systems in the area, keeping my presence here from ever being known. I guide the ship out of the atmosphere, glad to be away from this loathsome planet.


End file.
